Cream cheese is a fresh, soft mild tasting cheese produced from unskimmed cow’s milk. Given that it is made from a combination cream and milk, the cheese has a high fat content. In the US, cream cheese need to contain at least 33% fat content while in Britain it should be a minimum of 45-65%. Anything above is considered double or triple cream cheese. In German, it is also called Doppelrhamstufel meaning cheese made with "double cream". The cheese has a mildly lactic aroma and a slightly salty taste.

Cream cheese is firmed with the use of lactic acid and so needs to be consumed fresh. It has a relatively short life even when refrigerated. Cream cheeses made using traditional methods tend to be more crumbly than spreadable while those with stabilizers like guar gum are more firm. The taste, texture and production are similar to Boursin and Mascarpone. Cream cheese is suitable for vegetarians since it uses acid, such as citric acid to coagulate the milk.

Cream cheese has a mild, sweet taste with a pleasant slight tang. It is a smooth, spreadable cheese at room temperature and comes in various flavoured varieties including those with herbs, fruits blended in. The cheese is widely consumed in United States where it used to enrich cheesecakes, frostings, dips, toppings, sweet & savory dishes and desserts. It is also used to make flavourful desserts with colourful fruit combinations such as blueberries, raspeberries and kiwis.